The Mockingjay's Rebellion
by LiveInLoveAndLaughter
Summary: My Name is Katniss Everdeen. I am the Mockingjay. I am the rebellion. And this is my story.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games franchise. _

_**Author's Note: **_

So I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do. All I know is that President Coin asked me to do this and since she's freeing well, everyone, I guess I don't have a choice. I'm the Mockingjay and I do as I'm told. Let me be clearer about this 'assignment' as she calls it: I'm supposed to tell you all what has happened to me over the past few years. I'm supposed to explain to you all about life in the Seam, the trials of The Hunger Games, and finally where I am now, as the Mockingjay.

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am the Mockingjay. I am the rebellion.

_**Part One: Life in the Seam**_

So I'm supposed to start by telling you a little about my life before I volunteered to be a tribute in The 74th Annual Hunger Games. I am from District 12; we're the coal mining district (hence why our tributes wore coal mining outfits pre Cinna). And I'm going to start with the day I saw my best friend, Gale Hawthorne, for the first time.

**Six Years Ago**

_Town Hall_

We stood, huddled together in our town hall. I remember wondering how we were supposed to survive this. He was our provider. He worked in the mines. He hunted in the forbidden woods. He traded in the illegal hob. He put food on our table. He was the music of our lives. He sang to us. He told us stories. He was our father. He gave life to our little family, which now only consisted of my mother and my seven year old sister Primrose.

I glanced around the room and noted another family with kids near our own ages. Two young children, a boy a little older than me and a very pregnant woman. She looked like the baby would drop out of her at any moment. The boy must've noticed I was staring because he turned his attention away from the mayor, who was speaking, to me.

His eyes were the same gray color as my own. The same color most people in the Seam possessed. He had the same dark hair. We looked like we could be related. We looked like we could be related to everyone in the Seam. Hell, maybe we were related. His stare, it was so intense. It burned into me. I couldn't pull my eyes away though. I just continued to stare at him.

"Katniss Everdeen."

My mother nudged me. I broke the staring contest to look up at her.

The mayor repeated my name, "Katniss Everdeen." I looked over, startled, momentarily forgetting why we were here and what my role was. I was supposed to accept the medal from the mayor. The medal that symbolized my father's heroic death in the mines.

Which reminded me, how were we supposed to survive now?

I walked over to him and stretched my hand out. I noticed a camera flash out of the corner of my eye, but chose to ignore it and not pose for a picture with the mayor. This was just to make The Capitol look good anyhow. To make them look like they weren't somehow responsible for my father's death, when they had to know the mines were too dangerous. It was their fault. It was all their fault. They should burn for it. But they wouldn't. No one would ever go against them. The last district that tried it was decimated. 13 no longer exists. My hand tightened around the medal, which was all I had left of my father. I turned and walked back to my mother and sister. How was my mother supposed to take care of us now?

Sure, we would receive compensation in the form of tessera, or grain to make bread, for each of us for a year, but even at age eleven I knew that wasn't enough. We had to find another way. We needed more food to survive. Prim was a growing child, she needed more food.

"Gale Hawthorne."

I looked up from the medal as the mayor called another name. The boy was walking towards him. He accepted the medal, and unlike me, smiled for the camera. For The Capitol. I hated him. I hated Gale Hawthorne.

**Five Years Ago**

_Our Woods_

I stood at the electric fence and stared at it tentatively. I was facing the big hole covered by bushes that my father showed me two years earlier when he first took me out with him. I glanced around. If any peace keepers saw me they could string me up for breaking the law. Even if I was just a kid, it didn't matter. All that mattered was the law, and the peace keepers would keep it or lose their own jobs and possibly their own heads. I took a deep breath. I needed to man up and go into those woods. I needed to hunt. We needed more food. We needed to survive or the government would take Prim and me away from our mother. Our mother. The cold, hunched over, skinny, frail woman who stared straight ahead of her all day every day. I don't even think she was really seeing anything. I think she was just staring into an abyss of nothingness. We needed game to survive.

I took a deep breath and leaned forward to listen for the humming of the fence, just like my father taught me.

Silence.

Taking one more breath, I summoned all my courage and crawled underneath the fence and through the hole. When I made it to the other side, I immediately jumped into the bushes, waiting for peace keepers and hovercrafts to descend on me.

No one came.

I think I sat there for ten minutes before I finally found the courage to come out of the bushes and find the hollowed out log my father hid his bows and arrows in. Once I retrieve them, I sat on the log and thought out a plan for the day. I needed food. I needed game. I needed anything. And I had no idea how to get it and how to make it back alive.

I didn't go far that day. I wandered around close enough to the fence that I could get their quickly, but far enough away that no peace keepers would not see me if they passed by.

I quit for the day once I had three squirrels and a small handful of berries.

Wanting to get back long before dark, I put the bow and arrows back in the log and made my way to the fence. I was surprised at how easily I found it. I listened for the humming and heard nothing, so I slipped underneath it and scurried back home.

I prayed no one saw me that day. And I worried I would be dragged off in the middle of the night for nearly a week. It took me a week to find the courage to go back into the woods again.

_Home_

That night we had a feast. I skinned the squirrel the best I could and put it in a stew, saving some of the meat for later in the week. We cleaned the berries and set them aside to eat with the bread we made from our tessera for dessert.

When dinner was ready, Prim and I stood our mother up and walked her to the table. We forced her to sit down with a bowl of stew in front of her. Prim watched her silently, her eyes wide as her mother did not even seem to notice the hot soup in front of her.

"Eat." I directed Prim.

"But mom," she pointed to our mother.

I interrupted her, "Eat." She stared at me, just as stubborn as I am, her beautiful light eyes holding mine with as much determination as the little eight year old could muster, "Eat your stew before it gets cold little duck."

She sighed and took a bite. I could tell by the way her face lit up that it was one of the best things she'd tasted since before our father was killed by The Capitol. I nodded and ate my stew. I kept a steady eye on my mother, who still had not acknowledged that we moved her from her bed to the table and placed a hot bowl of broth in front of her.

I stopped my own eating and scooped up a spoonful from our mother's bowl and nudged her, "Mom, open up your mouth." She didn't move. I hit her in the arm. Her head swiveled around to face me. "Open your mouth and take a bite." She didn't respond. "For Prim." Her mouth actually opened. I shoved the spoon in her mouth, dumping the soup in it. It was the first night she ate an entire meal. All it took was me spoon-feeding her and telling her it was for Prim.

Later that night Prim was bouncing off the walls. She was acting like a little kid again. Like an eight year old. "That was so good Katniss! You did such an amazing job! You're going to take care of us for forever! And Mom's coming back too! And everything's going to a-ok!"

I smiled for her. She was the only one who could really get me to smile. "That's right little duck, we're going to be just fine." I opened my arms for her and she pummeled into them, giving me a big bear hug.

"I love you Katniss."

"I love you too little duck."

And she quacked for me. Just like a duck.

I waited a week to go back to the woods out of fear of being caught. Once I got over that fear I went back to the woods every day. I went in the mornings before school and in the afternoon. I still hadn't ventured into The Hob yet. I knew I needed to. So, one Friday morning before school I decided to take the plunge.

_The Hob_

I pushed open the door to the old warehouse. It used to be for transporting coal, but The Capitol found a more efficient way for us to do that so locals made this the black market of District 12. In most districts something like The Hob probably wouldn't exist, but District 12 was different. We were the backwoods of all the districts. Even the peace keepers were hungry. And The Hob was the only place to get fresh meat if you couldn't afford it. And even peace keepers couldn't. It was also a cheap way to get liquor.

I stepped inside and looked around. It was so busy. I had only been here twice before with the protection of my father, who everyone loved. No one knew me. No one would respect me. I looked inside my game bag. I'd gotten braver. I went further into the woods now. I had two rabbits and four squirrels. A really good day. I was a good shot too. All the kills were straight through the eye. I didn't hurt any fur or waste any meat.

I looked back up. Some people were staring at me. I didn't know who to approach with my game bag really. I didn't know what to do with my spoils from the day, but I knew I had to hurry if I was going to make it to school on time. I took a deep breath and took a step forward.

A man bumped into me. He was wearing a peace keeper uniform. My eyes got really big and I started shaking, but I tried not to let it show. I took a breath to calm my nerves down. If I was confident maybe he would let me go just this once. Show no fear. That was what my father always told me when it came to The Hob.

"Hey there little girl. Don't get too lost." And he was gone. Just like that. A peace keeper. Someone who should want to punish everyone in The Hob.

I nodded my head at him and took another step forward. I just kept taking steps forward until I found myself standing in front of a haggard old lady standing behind a counter with a big pot of stew.

"What do you want girl?" She looked down at me, waiting impatiently for me to speak. I opened my mouth and closed it, "Well?" She sighed, "I ain't got all day."

"Game." I opened my bag, "I have game."

She rolled her eyes, "How bad is it?"

I held my bag out to her. I had no idea what I was doing. I let her pull out the rabbits and squirrels. She looked at the kills and then looked at me, "Who killed these? Where'd you steal them from?"

I shook my head, "No ma'am. I killed them. I can hunt." I said it in a low voice, but confidently and proud.

She nodded her head, "I'll tell you what, I've got some coins now so I'll take it all for money." She dumped the money in my hand. I had no idea if I'd gotten a good deal or not, but I accepted it excitedly. I'd come back after school to get what we needed at home. I had to get to school.

Just as I reached the door I noticed him again. It was the second time I'd seen him. The boy I hated. The boy who smiled for The Capitol.

Gale Hawthorne.

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XOXO

MAS


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Clearly I do not own The Hunger Games franchise_

**Five Years Ago**

_Our Woods_

I made it back to the woods nearly every day after I discovered the Peacekeepers in 12 want fresh meat as much as the rest of us. There really is no danger. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with the meadow just outside of the fence. It was beautiful and endless. It was paradise. Heaven.

This particular day, I decided to just wander. Of course I hunted. It was late in the summer and game was abundant. I really did just want to enjoy the beautiful fresh air away from the mines and coal dust that seemed to cover everything in our district. And so I wandered. I wanted to discover new places. I was suddenly emboldened to see just how far I could go and make it back by sundown. One thing nice about the woods is that it could make me feel like a child. Like the twelve year old I am.

I climbed every tree I could, even if it didn't look sturdy enough. I wandered into every cave unconcerned about the potential for wildlife that could attack me, according to The Capitol's fairytales. I was picking berries off of a bush when I noticed it. They were strawberries. And they were rare. I was putting a bunch in a small satchel I kept for plants and herbs in my game bag and eating a huge helping while I picked. There were so many of them. I remember something my Dad told me, the mayor loves strawberries. I'd never sold anything to the mayor, but I figured this would be the day to try it. It was the day for trying new things, for going on new adventures.

My attention was diverted away from the strawberries, however, by a very cleverly disguised piece of rope. It was barely noticeable in the underbrush of the woods. Hesitantly, I reached down and touched. I was very careful with it. I didn't know exactly what would happen if I touched it. I looked around me, wondering briefly if my newfound freedom was about to be snapped away by Peacekeepers or The Capitol. If this small piece of twine was a way to capture it. Nothing happened. So I followed it. I realized very quickly that it was going up. It was intersecting with a tree I had yet to climb. As my eyes followed the rope that went just slightly over my head, my eyes widened at the small rabbit that was now dead hanging from it.

I reached out and touched it. The implications of what that hanging rabbit meant not yet reaching me.

"You know stealing is punishable by death."

My head snapped around. It was the boy. The boy from Town Hall. The boy from the Hob. It was Gale Hawthorne.

"So is hunting." I shot back just as quickly. I hadn't heard him approach. That unsettled me. He'd appeared out of nowhere. How could he be so quiet? How could I not notice him? I was a hunter, I was supposed to notice everything. No sound was supposed to escape me, but he did.

He just shrugged his response. "So what's your name again?" He asked. Of course he didn't remember me. He looked memorable, but I, I was nothing more than a scrawny twelve year old. I'd gathered from school he was two years older than me, and the girls loved him. What they loved about him I did not understand. Not one single bit.

He moved closer to me, so that he was hovering over me. He was tall. And big. "Katniss." Was that my voice? That thin thread? That barely whisper?

"Catnip?" He repeated. "Weird name. He turned and cut the rope, bringing the rabbit down.

I frowned. I took a deep breath and said my name as confidently as I could, "Katniss." I paused, "Not Catnip. I'm not something to eat."

He turned and grinned at me. It was lopsided, "I like Catnip better." He shoved his knife back in his pocket and stuck his hand out, "Gale."

I almost told him I knew who he was. That I remembered him, but I didn't. "Nice to meet you." I mumbled. He just shrugged his response to that.

I stared at him, not saying a word as he cut the rabbit from its confines. Finally he said, "Not much nice here in 12."

My mouth opened and closed. How could he say that? We weren't supposed to say things like that. I used to say stuff like that. When my dad was alive. Now I just kept my thoughts to myself. They scared my mother so much. Now that I was raising Prim alone I was afraid she would start saying stuff like that if I said it. Then where would we be? Dead. That's where. They'd kill us all.

I shrugged and mumbled some incoherent response. He gave me a lopsided grin.

"I've seen you around the Hob. I didn't realize you were out hunting." He shoved the rabbit into his bag. I didn't respond. "The Hob isn't the place for girl."

That caught my attention. I felt my eyes narrow into slits and the phrase 'if looks could kill' ran through my mind. I wished him dead. In that very brief moment. How dare he insult me for being a girl. It wasn't my fault my parents created me. "I hold my own just fine thank you." It's true that the first few times I went I let people take advantage of me. I didn't know what I was doing. I quickly found out that people respected my father and adored my sister. I used that to my advantage. Now I haggled and I haggled well.

"Still, you don't want Old Sae taking you for a ride."

Now I wanted to shoot him with my bow and arrow. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself just fine." I turned and walked away. I wanted more strawberries, but I didn't want him knowing about them. I didn't want him eating all of my fruit.

I was aware of him now. I knew he was following me. He was trying to see if I could make it in the woods. I don't think he even heard it. It moved so quietly. I'd never taken down a doe before, but how much harder can it be than a rabbit or a bird. I raised my arrow and released it. I sucked in my breath. I am not a girly girl. I don't like dresses. I don't squeal or talk about boys or have friends. But I wanted to jump for joy. The doe was down. Like it collapsed and it looked like I'd hit it right in the eye. That's where I hit all my kills, but I'd never taken down a baby deer before.

I knew Gale was watching me. I could feel his eyes on me. I also knew that there was no way he'd seen the deer. It was my kill. It was my proof that I could hold my own. I trekked up the steep incline and reached the doe quickly. I laid my hand on its chest. I closed my eyes, thankful it wasn't breathing. I stared at the animal, wondering briefly how I was going to get it into the Hob in the first place. Carrying game in a bag to the Hob past Peacekeepers was one thing, slinging a small deer over my shoulder was another. It was taunting The Capitol. And my mother and sister would starve to death if I were killed for my actions. So I continued to stare at the deer.

"They won't care." I looked over my shoulder. Gale had made his way up behind me. Was I seriously so focused on my own thoughts I forgot about him and therefore didn't hear him or was he that quiet? I didn't like the idea of him being that quiet. It unsettled me.

"What are you talking about?" I decided to play dumb.

He rolled his eyes, "If you carry that doe to the Hob. The Peacekeepers love deer. They'll be thrilled."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see someone openly defy The Capitol and to mock them."

He grunted, "They'll be happy to have fresh meat." He corrected me.

I looked at the doe and then at Gale. I shrugged, pulled out my knife and slit the throat of the graceful animal. I knew Gale didn't expect it from me. I knew he expected me to hand the reins over to him. "Fine then. It'll bring a pretty penny. For me." I stood up, the blood pooling before running down the side of the incline we were standing on.

Gale just stared at me, "Whatever Catnip. See you." And he was gone just like that.

On my way back to the Hob, I made myself very aware of snares that belonged to Gale. They were everyone, positioned so cleverly that animals that grew up in these woods could not notice them. And they were intricate. He must have set them up every morning and came back the following morning for his spoils, to take into the Hob. Just like I was about to risk for the doe. It did cross my mind that he may have been setting me up, that just maybe I was going to be taken and killed before school even started. Nonetheless I decided to drag the deer underneath the fence.

_The Hob_

I opened the door to the old warehouse and went to stand against the wall. I made it, all the way to the Hob, with a doe over my shoulder without anyone stopping me. Without anyone even so much as giving me a second glance. I wondered briefly if they were going to wait until I'd traded the deer so the peacekeepers could get fresh meat and then kill me, but I decided to focus on hopefully getting my family food before that happened.

I adjusted the doe over my shoulder and trekked down to Old Sae. I'd only been trading in the Hob for a few weeks now, but I knew Sae was my best bet for a good deal. I walked as confidently as I could up to her stand, hoping that Gale Hawthorne kid hadn't just screwed me over big time.

"Hey Sae." I greeted her quietly.

"Hey girl, what do you have today?" She didn't look up, just continued stirring her pot.

"A doe." I replied.

Her head snapped up so she could meet my eyes. Her eyes widened at the deer slung over my shoulders. I started shaking. She didn't say anything for a moment. She doesn't want it. There's no way to hide this. She doesn't want to go to jail. Or get killed. Killed. That's what's going to happen to me.

"Well no one's seen a deer in over a year." She breathed, coming around her stall to touch it. "Good job girl."

I released a breath I wasn't aware I was holding. This was good. This was acceptable. I was quick to make the trade with Sae and I was happy to get a few coins so I could get something small for Prim. Anything to make her day. As I wandered around, I ended up picking up some light blue ribbon for her hair. It would bring out her eyes.

I smiled at the thought of Prim. She was the only one who could bring out a smile like that in me. I glanced down at my bag filled with strawberries. If I give some of these to the mayor, I could probably get some coins and get bread from the baker and maybe even some cheese in town. It would be a gluttonous night, but we could have bread smeared with cheese and strawberries. My mouth started watering. Feeling braver since discarding my doe, I pushed the doors of the Hob open. I noted as I walked out that Gale was sitting on Sae's stand eating a bowl of soup. I chose to ignore his stare.

_The Mayor's House_

I stood outside of his house wondering if I was about to get myself shot for a second time today. I took a steadying breath. I wanted to be brave and adventurous today. And all of this was a part of it. I knocked on the door. A girl my own age opened it, Madge, the mayor's daughter. She was beautiful and sort of almost my friend. We were both quiet people who didn't like to be surrounded by friends. Often times we ended up next to each other at lunch, or partnered up in gym, simply because we didn't like the other girls. Our quiet, strange relationship worked for us.

She grinned, "Katniss, what on earth are you doing here?"

I mustered up a smile, "I have something I think your dad will like."

Her head cocked to the side and her blonde curls went with it, "My dad?" Her eyes widened a bit after a moment.

I shook my head, "No not that, it's just," I didn't really know what to say, luckily for me I didn't have to come up with much.

The mayor joined us a moment later, "Madge, who's at the door?" He looked down at me, "Why if it isn't Miss Everdeen." He smiled at me. He liked my father.

I cleared my throat and tried to sound confident, "I heard you liked strawberries."

He raised an eyebrow, "And where did you hear that from?"

I wavered slightly under his gaze, "My um, father." Not confident at all.

He grinned, his eyebrow dropping, "Your father was right. I love strawberries. But not enough to pay the rates in town." His eyes fell on my bag, "What do you have there?"

I opened up the pouch I separated for him, "These."

He smile widened, "Great, I'll give you the same rate I gave your father. He was a good man. A good hunter." His voice fell to a whisper at the end of the sentence.

I tried for a smile, but couldn't really muster one. It still hurt talking about my father. I handed the mayor the bag instead. He in turn handed it to Madge, who just stared wide eyed at both of us as he moved inside. He came back a moment later with a handful of coins. He looked down at his daughter, "Do not mention this to your mother." His voice was a warning. Madge just nodded, "In fact, do not mention this to anyone or ask Katniss about it ever." Madge continued to nod.

I waved goodbye to Madge and the mayor and moved away from the largest house in the district. I walked back into the square and stood in front of the baker's shop. I could see him through the window. I stood there for a moment before turning and walked over to the shop that sold cheese. I pushed the door open and walked inside.

_Dairy Shop_

The owner at the counter watched me as I walked in, "How can I help you girl?"

I placed two coins on the counter, "What kind of cheese can I get for this?" I was not spending more than four coins today.

He looked at the two coins and smiled, "Well, there are a few options, do you want block or spreadable cheese."

I grinned at him, it was small, but I was thinking about Prim, "Spreadable."

He nodded and pulled out three different cheeses, "Which one."

I analyzed the different clear wrappings and picked one. He wrapped it up for me and scooped the coins off the counter top, "Thank you Miss Everdeen."

I glanced at him. I didn't even know his name, but he knew mine. "Thank you." I mumbled.

"Take care of that sister of yours. My little boy tells me she's something else." He called as I went to step outside. Prim. Of course everyone loved Prim. Everyone would hope she could be kept alive.

"Of course I will." I hollered back. Who wouldn't take care of her?

_Baker's Shop_

My stomach swooped as I stood on the street across from the baker's shop. My mind flashed back to last winter. It was our first winter without my father. We were starving. It was before I remembered to search for plants. It was before I braved the woods. It was when we were literally at our worst. And he saved us.

Peeta Mellark.

The baker's son.

I could see him. He was icing a cake in the shop. That one night he watched as his mother drove me away from their trashcans as I looked for scraps. It was pouring. A few minutes later he came out with burnt bread to throw in their pig pen and instead, when his witch of a mother wasn't looking, he threw it to me. It was still warm. It burned my stomach in a delicious way as I held it under my jacket to keep it out of the rain. It was the first time we had a decent meal since my father had died.

I meant to thank Peeta after that, but I never got the chance. Now I just avoided him in school. I'd never spoken to him before so that was easy, but I also had to avoid his eyes. He would watch me. At least the first few weeks after he saved us. That has stopped though. The boy with the bread.

Taking a deep breath to steel my nerves, I walked up to the shop and opened the door. A little bell chimed above my head. Peeta stopped his work and faced me. His father came out of the back of the shop.

"Katniss Everdeen." The baker smiled at me. Of course he knew my father as well. "What can I do for you."

I cleared my throat and laid two coins on the counter, "I'd like some bread." I murmured.

I could tell he was shocked that I was able to come up with two whole coins and was willing to spend it on a loaf of bread. A good loaf of bread. He nodded, "I'm pulling some out of the oven. How about a nice warm loaf?"

I smiled, "Thank you Mr. Mellark." I refrained from looking at Peeta. He didn't try to say a word. A few minutes later I had my bread wrapped up and in my hunting bag. As I stepped across the street, I couldn't help but look back. And there he was, watching me from the shadows by the window.

Peeta Mellark.

The boy with the bread.

Read & Review

XOXO

MAS


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games franchise_

**Five Years Ago**

_School_

I moved silently from one classroom to the next. When someone stopped in front of me I was forced to stop. I shuffled from foot to foot and looked around. I felt like I was being hunted. I could feel eyes on me. I glanced over my shoulder. Had Madge told someone I hunted? It's one thing if it's a well-known fact that isn't spoken about. It's another if people begin to talk about me going into the woods. Then the peacekeepers will have no choice but to string me up. If they didn't The Capitol would have their heads. I can understand their motivation. Wanting to save themselves. I shuddered and hopped to the over foot. Who was watching me?

When the traffic jam moved I sprinted into the classroom and took my seat next to Madge in the back. I eyed her carefully. She hadn't said anything to me. And she didn't have any other friends. We sat together at lunch, we paired up together in gym, we sat next to each other in classes and at assemblies, but that was only because we both preferred to keep our own company. We had a good silent relationship. It worked well for the two of us.

She still didn't look at me.

So I turned to face the blackboard.

When the bell rang I moved out the door quickly and down the hall to my locker. Opening it, I shoved my books inside and slammed it shut. I felt eyes on me again. What was happening? Who was watching me? I looked around me. I did a double take as a giant shadow moved around the corner. Who was that? Sprinting down the hall I rounded the corner.

And there he was, leaning up against the lockers surrounded by girls just grinning. He draped his arm around one of them. A leggy blonde from the city. Not a seam girl. Not a plain scrawny younger girl. Another fourteen year old. Not a twelve year old. He turned his head slightly and looked at me. He grinned his lopsided grin and sent me a wink. My jaw dropped. Had he been the one watching me? I frowned and decided to send him my most bored stare I could muster before turning around.

I will never like or trust Gale Hawthorne. Ever.

_The Woods_

I walked quietly through the woods with my bow and arrow pointed at the ground. Game had not been as abundant lately and I was having to rely on my knowledge of plants and herbs. Luckily I had my mother's book that she and my father put together of plants that were edible and plants that had herbal remedies and plants that were poisonous.

A twig snapping caught my attention. I turned my head and raised my bow and arrow. There was nothing there. I looked around quickly. There had to be something there. I heard it. I distinctly heard a twig snap. And the air doesn't do that. That's a person or an animal.

I took another step forward and stopped. That sounded like someone breathing. I felt hysteria welling up in my chest. Was someone from The Capitol following me? Was that who was watching me during school today. Was it not Gale? Was it someone who wanted to catch me in the illegal act of hunting and string me up in front of the town as an example. I tried to take a calming breath. It came out ragged. I needed to calm down. I also needed a story. I needed to try to stay alive. I have to take care of Prim.

I took another step forward.

The next sound I heard came from me. I let out a screech as a rope clung to one of my ankles and I flew up in the air. I clung to my bow and arrow as my quiver slid down my arm and my remaining bows clattered to the ground below. I gripped my hunting bag with my free hand and let the quiver fall to the ground as well. It was no good to me empty. Clinging to my bow and remaining arrow in case I needed it, I flipped my hunting bag around and dug for a knife. Once I had it I dropped my bag. It would only add dead weight and there were no goods in it anyhow.

Hooking my arm through my bow, I tucked the arrow into my belt and assessed my ability to haul myself up and cut the rope. I don't have great abs. I may not be able to. I should work on that, increasing the strength in my core. Taking a deep breath, I threw myself up to try to grab the rope. I missed by inches. I groaned.

Gale. This was Gale's snare. It was Gale's trap. It was his fault. Damn him. Stupid, idiotic boy. Damn it.

I threw myself up again. And missed. I let out a small screech. A sound I usually wouldn't make because it could scare off game. Throwing myself upwards one last time I latched onto the rope. I gritted my teeth as I tried to hang on and slice through the rope. Just as suddenly as I rose in the air I felt myself falling. I landed with a thud on my quiver.

"Ow." I mumbled. "Stupid, idiotic boy. I hate him."

"Oh now hate's not good. You don't want to put that in the world." I looked up and saw Gale walking towards me.

I frowned at him. And had the biggest desire to stick my tongue out at him. I stood up and brushed myself off, collecting my arrows and game bag, reorganizing everything that had fallen out when I was hoisted up to the trees by my foot.

"I can't believe you didn't see the trap." His hand ran along the rope covered in vine. "I mean since you're an experienced hunter and all that now."

I turned to glare at him, "I was distracted by a sound. I was trying to track an animal."

His grin widened and he snickered. It was the same sound I'd heard right as I took that step into his trap.

"It was you!" I pointed at him, "You were tracking me." I hit his bicep. It was much more solid than I anticipated, "God Hawthorne, what is your problem."

He shrugged and picked up my last arrow, handing it to me, "I thought it'd be fun to mess with you."

"Mess with me? Seriously? In the woods. Where we're not supposed to be. Where we could get hanged for being? Seriously? Are you an idiot?"I threw my game bag over my shoulder.

"You're pretty feisty for a scrawny kids." He leaned against the tree I'd been hanging from.

I spun around, fully intent on punching him, "I hate you."

"Yeah well I hate you too Catnip." He wound the remaining rope around his hand.

"My name is Katniss." I corrected.

"I like Catnip better." He took a step towards me and leaned down, "It has a certain ring to it. Doesn't it?"

With that he walked off, leaving me to think about what he said alone in the woods. I let out another shriek. I groan as I take a cautious step forward. I know I won't catch anything today. Stupid Gale. Stupid snare. Stupid boy. Stupid nickname. Stupid everything. I slump down next to a tree. Why is he tormenting me? I look up and something catches my eye.

A bush of blackberries.

"Screw you Hawthorne." I mumble as I make my way over to the bush. I begin to pick the berries off the bush one by one, dropping them into a canister in my bag.

"Wouldn't you like to though?" I look up, Gale is standing in front of me. "What are these?" He asks, picking up a berry. He pops one in his mouth, not even bothering to ask if they're poisonous.

I shrug, "If you rub these berries over a wound they suck the poison out. They're poisonous to eat though."

He chokes as he tries to spit the berry out and grabs his canteen of water, downing half of it. What a waste of finite resources. "Seriously?" He chokes.

"It'll take a couple of hours." I murmur. "My mother can use these though." I continue to collect berries until I think I have enough. "It was nice to meet you Gale. I'm sorry for your loss." I nod my head reverently and walk off.

_School_

The next day I open my locker with a smug grin on my face. I know Gale will be looking for me. I pick a notebook and pen up just to have my locker slam shut. "We need to talk Catnip."

I look up at Gale, "I'm sorry, there's no one named Catnip here. You must have the wrong girl. Try the whore house." I wave and walk down the hall towards my classroom. I'm not surprised when he catches up to me quickly. No matter how fast I ran I'm pretty sure he could outrun me with his long legs.

"Okay Everdeen, that stunt you pulled yesterday was unacceptable."

"Oh and trapping me purposefully was alright?" I snap.

"I didn't set it for you. And you know it." He leans down, "It was just a plus to see you dangling there like bait."

I shove his chest, "And it was a plus to watch you panic."

His hand glides down my arm, he's taunting me, daring me to react like every other girl does. I hold still, "Who knew such a tiny thing had so much strength." His hand floats across my stomach.

I have to do my best not to clench, "Yes well the best things do come in small packages." Now where did that retort come from?

He shrugged, "Some good things come in very large packages."

I hold my face very still. I wasn't one hundred percent sure what he meant by that. I think it had to do with his "package" so I shrug, "Are you sure it's that big?" I ask. I push myself away from him and dart into my classroom.

I frown as I sit down next to Madge. I hate him. He's a horrible human being. I will never help him ever. I hope to never see him again. Ever.

**Review**

**XOXO**

**MAS**


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games franchise_

**Five Years Ago**

_The Hob_

I dangle my legs over Sae's stall, "One bowl of soup please." I grinned at her. She'd become my friend. My actual friend. More so than Madge was.

She nodded and picked up a bowl and her ladle, "It's those squirrels you brought me yesterday Katniss. They cleaned up real nicely."

I nodded and accepted the steaming bowl, "I'm glad, I hope the rabbit is even better tomorrow." I gestured towards the game I'd brought her today, "And those plants should mix in really nicely." I comment.

"You do good girl. You're my best supplier." She patted my back, "How's that sister of yours?"

I smiled at Sae, "She's getting so big now. She's eight. She's beautiful too. Looks like a town girl."

"Like her momma." Sae glanced at me sideways, "How is she?"

I sighed and looked around, Darius was trying to get Seam girl to trade kisses for coins. "No better really. At least she's eating though."

"She'll get better girl." She looked around, "Where the hell is Gale? I need my daily dose of that boy!"

I grimaced, "Don't know, don't care." I mumbled.

She just shook her head, "You two really should work together. You'd probably bring back twice as much." I snorted at her suggestion. Yeah right. Gale and I hadn't even looked at each other since the berry incident four weeks ago. And now with winter coming I doubt we'd be seeing each other in the woods. Game was going to be scarce and plants were going to die. Luckily I'd been starting to stockpile at home. "I'm serious girl. This will be your first full winter in the woods. What are you going to do? Gale's been going in there longer than you. His daddy trained him but good." I glared at her. She was implying my father didn't do a good job. "Your daddy didn't have as long. You're younger than him. But hey, you're a better hunter still."

"Now it's not nice to go comparing your suppliers to one another Sae. You don't want one of them to take their business elsewhere. Especially when one of them has a turkey."

I nearly fell off the stall as I whipped around to face Gale. And he was in fact dangling a turkey from his hand. Now where on earth did he find that?

"Well I'll be damned, lookey here, you showed up Katniss." Sae made a grab for the turkey as she inspected it.

I just rolled my eyes and said confidently, "I think Henry would like my rabbits. Or the baker. Or Corey at the dairy shop."

Sae just shook her head, "You ain't going nowhere girl." And she knew she was right. She was the best deal. And with what she paid me I could get something from Mr. Mellark or Corey. And Henry stiffs everyone. It's a wonder he's still in business.

Gale propped himself up next to me, "Catnip." He nodded in my direction before pointing at a bowl of soup.

"It's Katniss, Hawthorne. My name is Katniss." I corrected him. I glared at him and even as I said it I realized that he only called me 'Catnip' because it annoyed me. If it didn't bother me he'd probably call me 'Katniss.' Damn him to hell and back.

He just shrugged and winked at me, "You know I prefer Catnip."

Sae chuckled, "Boy stop torturing the girl." Gale didn't respond.

Setting my empty bowl in Sae's stack of dirty dishes, I stood up and tossed my game bag over my shoulders. I waved goodbye and walked off without a word. I could hear Gale chuckling as I walked away. He really is so annoying.

_School_

I shut my locker with a little more force than I intended. Why did Gale have to interrupt my perfect morning routine? I went out in the woods. I had breakfast at Sae's and then I went to school. Why did he have to stop by?

I was making my way down the hall when three town girls stopped me, "We need to talk." I looked up at Betty, one of the most beautiful girls in the school who was usually draped over Gale.

"About what?" I asked, glancing at the girls who were standing next to her.

"Gale Hawthorne is not even remotely in your league." She crossed her arms.

I laughed, I couldn't help it. No kidding Gale wasn't in my league. And why would I want Gale to be in my league anyhow? Why would I care? What about Gale is so enticing? Why would I even go after him to begin with? I chuckled in spite of myself, "Seriously Betty I don't want Gale." I pushed past her, but stopped when she responded.

"Everyone wants Gale. Don't kid yourself, you're just as human as the rest of us."

I turned to look at her, "I don't care about boys." I shrugged, "We have more important things to worry about in the Seam." I pointed out to her before walking towards my classroom.

I sighed as I sat down next to Madge in the back. She was doodling on her paper in front of her. Drawing flowers. I wanted to ask her what she thought of Gale. Did she see him the way everyone else seemed to? Was it just me who was oblivious to boys? Who had time for that? Well I guess town girls do. They don't have to worry about putting food on the table every night. Or a mom who doesn't even move.

"Katniss?" I glanced over at Madge, she was staring at me with a strange look on her face, "Are you okay?"

I nodded, "Why?"

She glanced down at my hands, "You're starting to rip your notebook."

I looked down at my desktop. I had the thin pieces of paper that were barely bound together in a death grip, "Oh. Yeah I guess I'm okay."

"I heard Betty stopped you in the halls." She murmured. I nodded in response, "She's jealous over your relationship with Gale."

My head shot up, "My what?"

"You two seem to have a lot in common." I think the look on my face intimidated her. She faltered with her sentence.

"Gale and I hate each other. There is no relationship." I faced the blackboard. This discussion was over.

_Home_

I shut the door with a bang. Today had been terrible. The only thing anyone had talked about was Betty stopping me to talk about Gale. "I'm home." I mumbled.

Prim came sprinting up to me, "Look at what I've got!" She waved some flowers in the air.

I got down on me knees, "Oh they're so pretty. Where did you get them?" I pulled her into a hug.

"Rory Hawthorne gave them to me. He's cute. For a boy with cooties that is." She scrunched her face up. I on the other hand tried to keep mine impassive. Hawthorne. Probably Gale's little brother.

"That's nice Prim. How about we put them in some water?" She nodded her head and I pulled a small vase out of the cabinet to fill with water from our pump outside.

A knock at the door stopped me. I opened it to find the one person I hated surrounded by his family. Gale. "What do you want?" I asked. He brushed past me. It was then that I realized he was carrying a little girl.

A woman who was crying followed him in clinging to two younger boys, one around Prim's age and one who looked to be about ten, "Is Corrine here?" She was looking for my mother.

I simply stared at her. Gale interrupted my blank staring, "Katniss is your mother here. Posy is sick."

Prim was the one who jumped into action, "Let's lay her here on the bed." She smoothed out the covers on our bed and crossed the small room to shake our mother, who was staring out the window from her spot on one of our kitchen chairs, "Mother we need help. We have a patient." Our mother turned to face her, her face still unmoving, "A little girl, Posy Hawthorne."

To my surprise, my mother stood up and walked over to Mrs. Hawthorne, "Let me look at her Amelia." My mouth gaped open. Was she actually going to speak? She moved to the side of the bed and felt Posy's forehead. The little girl was barely a year old. She moaned when my mother touched her. "Katniss, Prim, one of you boil water."

I stood staring at the little girl, so Prim jumped into action. Grabbing the pot and running outside to fill it with water.

Gale began pacing, "What's wrong with her? What have I done wrong? What's going on?" He was hysterically screaming at my mother. And at himself.

"Gale, you haven't done anything wrong. Please calm down. You're upsetting Vick and Rory." She was settling the two younger boys on the other bed.

"You can't tell me to calm down when Posy is so sick." He gestured to his little sister.

"Gale," I moved towards him, resting my hand lightly on his bicep, "come on, you're no good screaming. Let's go for a walk."

He shook me off, "I can't just leave her."

My mother, of all people, interrupted us, "A walk would be good." She moved towards her book of plants and scribbled something down. She handed me a list, "I need these plants. They should be in abundance." She looked between Gale and me, "Both of you should go. I'd prefer it if you went together." She looked briefly at Mrs. Hawthorne, she wasn't going to ask permission.

"Please go Gale." Mrs. Hawthorne ushered him to the door.

I slipped back into my coat and picked up my hunting bag, stuffing the piece of paper securely inside it. "Come on Gale. We have plants to go find."

_The Woods_

The walk to the woods had been silent. Now that we were safely tucked away inside the gate, I pulled the piece of paper out. Just glancing at the list I realized that my mother didn't actually need these plants. They had no medicinal purpose. She would probably send them home with the Hawthornes to eat. She was simply trying to get Gale out of the house. It was hard to believe, she was acting like her old self.

I grabbed Gale's arm. One of the plants was katniss. It'd be near the lake, which shouldn't be frozen quite yet. "We have to head to the lake." I murmured. He nodded, not really responding to me.

I led the way through the woods down to the lake where my father taught me to swim when I was young. I realized as we got there that my mother sent us as far away as she could without causing Gale to worry about Posy. "We need katniss." I commented with a smile.

I glanced over at Gale and he chuckled, "So you're going to save my sister in more ways than one."

Grabbing his wrist I pulled him towards the lake, "I'll show you how to identify katniss. It's actually really good to eat. It was my father's favorite plant."

"How will it help Posy?" He kneeled in the muddy bank next to me.

Looking at his face I knew I couldn't lie. "It won't cure her. It's not for the medicine mother will make." His face scrunched up and he was about to yell about us coming all the way out here for it, I could tell by the look in his eyes, so I quickly continued, "But it has a lot of vitamins in it and she should eat it to help build up her strength. It can be in soup or put in a bottle. It will help her. Mother really sent us out here to get food with the right nutrients to help her stay better."

"So you're saying what I've been providing her isn't giving her enough strength?" There it was, that defensive tone that made us hate each other.

I shook my head, "No that's not it at all. She's little Gale, she's susceptible to all kinds of sicknesses. And the weather is changing, any of us could get sick. The plants we know about just have extra stuff in them to help build up our immune system."

He grunted in response and began yanking at the plants around us. I sighed, resigning myself to silence. After a few minutes of picking katniss I stood up and looked at the sheet. We needed to move near the abandoned cabin my father used to take me to, it was also a little out of the way. Mother planned to keep us out until the evening.

"I didn't even know this was here." Gale murmured, looking out at the lake.

I smiled sadly at the lake, "This was my favorite place to come with my father. He taught me to swim here." I sighed, "There are a lot of valuable plants here. And fish too." He turned without commenting and walked away. I followed him up the incline and said, "We need to head further west for the next plant." He just nodded sullenly.

When we reached the cabin twenty minutes later, Gale stood in front of it not making a sound. "Sometimes my father and I used to wait out storms here." I started talking just so there would be sound.

"I never knew this was here either." He murmured looking down at me.

An hour later we were walking back towards the fence. I started fidgeting with the shoulder strap of my bag. Finally I had to break the silence, "You know Gale if you wanted I could go through my mother's book on herbs and plants with you." His look almost made me shut up, "That way you'd know what was poisonous and what wasn't, what has medicinal powers and stuff." I dropped off without really finishing my sentence.

Gale never did respond to my offer so I let it drop as we entered the town again and headed towards my house in the Seam.

XOXO

MAS


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